SHERAYA By Nicolle Friesen
August 20th, 2010-Afghanistan-I think it’s my fault …… so does my family. I’m Sheraya, I’m only six, but I feel older then I am. My daddy said I was a waste of skin and then left home to go to war. The war has been going on for a couple of years and my mommy said she has to go help the soldiers get better….and leaves me with my brother. My sister Kia said that she had no point in living so she hung herself up on a rope. Brody (my brother) is always telling me that it’s my fault and then putting me in the storage room. It’s dark in here. The only light is through the holes in the wall. I can hear big bangs and booms coming from the other side of the wall. They used to scare me, but I’ve gotten used to them since I have been in this room for a while. I want mom to come home so I can get out of here. I feel a bruise on my leg from Brody’s fist… it really hurts. Finally, I can hear moms voice from the other side of the door. It’s really dark in here so it must be night time. I can hear mom and Brody fighting… now the door to the storage room is opening… its really bright. I finally get to go out of the storage room.
Brody is still mad at me…I can tell by the look on his face. I want to go give him a hug but I don’t want him to hurt me anymore. Moms starting to tell me that I should be good and listen to Brody… and that I was all a big mistake. She’s been drinking the smelly stuff again… I can smell it in her breathe as she yells in my face. I’m running to my bedroom now because I don’t want mommy to hurt me. She leaves bruises on my arms and legs when she drinks the stinky stuff. I think it’s my fault my family is falling apart. If I wasn’t born, nothing would’ve happened like this!
August 21st, 2010-Afghanistan- Brody is crying a lot today… I don’t know why and he won’t tell me. Mom isn’t home yet and I don’t know why. People in red cars keep coming to our house, but Brody keeps screaming, “I already know!!!” and then slamming the door… it’s scaring me. I want to know who they are so I’m asking again, but he’s looking at me angry now. He’s hitting me… it hurts a lot. He’s throwing me into the storage room now…. I hate when he does this!! I can feel the bruises on my legs and arms… he always does this to me… I always hurt. I can hear Brody throwing and smashing things, and in the background, gunshots and screaming people. I want mommy to come home… I want to get out of this room.
It’s later now and Brody’s coming into the room to talk to me. He is still sad-I can see it in his eyes.
“Shey, I need to talk to you about mom…” he’s whispering to me. I’m already crying.
“She was helping one of the soldiers get better, and someone shot her… She’s dead.” He’s crying a lot and so am I.
“So you’re taking care of me now?” I’m asking him but he’s not listening, but he’s angry again. I can hear him locking the storage room door. I’m locked in… and it’s raining. The water is dripping in from the holes in the wall… at least ill have something to drink.
It’s nighttime now and Brody hasn’t came to check on me yet… I think he’s sleeping. I can hear the door opening… maybe my daddy’s home… I hope not. He’s always drinking the stinky stuff. I want to get out of this room now… I just heard a gunshot from in my house… now the storage room door is opening; someone is throwing someone else into the storage room with me… the storage room door closes and locks… I go over to look at the dead person and start crying. It’s Brody… I’m alone now… no one to go to. No one to take care of me… no one to help me get out of this room… the only thing I can do is try and get out of here.
August 22nd, 2010-Afghanistan- I’m still in this room with Brody… it looks like he’s melting… but the rats like him… I’m really hungry… I wonder if Brody has any food in his pockets! Nope nothing… but he has a notebook that’s all red, and a pen!! I’ll right a note and slide it through one of the holes in the big brick wall.
Im sliding my my note through one of the holes carefully to make sure I dont push it all the way out... got it!! Now im laying down on the ground by Brody waiting for someone to find the note...I havent heard anyone come by the wall in a while but I have to wait.
August 23rd, 2010-Afghanistan- Its been raining today... and I can see through the hole I put my note in so maybe someone found it, but maybe it fell down into the dirt. I hope someone found it because i want to get out of here... It smells bad from Brody, I dont know why the rats like him so much! Its really raining now... I can see the flashes of lightening outside the wall. Im scared... I dont think anyone found my note because no one has came into my house for a long time. Im still really hungry so Im eating the stuff on the ground... it tastes burnt but its something to keep my tummy from being angry at me.
I have another idea to get out of here with stinky Brody, but I will have to wait till morning so there are people around. I just have to yell, and try and get someone to help me!
Im trying to sleep, but something in my head is making me think, was it really my fault that my family fell apart... or did they just want me to think it was so they could blame it on me?
August 24th, 2010-Afghanistan- I got to sleep really late last night, but the guns woke me up when it turned morning. I dont know what to do... there arent any people coming by the wall... It is taking forever for someone to come by the wall! Im still hungry and I cant see very well... its blurry... wait, I can hear people walking by on the other side of the wall.
I start to yell out, "Help! Help! Im trapped in a room! Im only six! Please help me!!!" and someone is saying, "Hello?! Is someone in there? Whats your name?"... I did it! I tell them my name is Sheraya and he says his name is Officer Gruntel, and to go to the back corner of the room. I listen, but i dont know why he wants me to go to the back corner of the room. I'm at the back of the room waiting for something to happen. Through the small holes i can see people running away from the wall... Im starting to run towards the wall wondering where they are foing and yelling, "Where are you going!?!? I need to get out!" but they are all yelling at me to back up and then... <span>BANG!!!!</span>
Sheraya died in the explosion to knock the wall down. Her brother, Brody was killed by an apposing soldier who broke into their home. Sheraya's father died in war along with 3 other soldiers he was with. Her mother was shot while she was helping an officer with a gunshot wound. Kia, Sheraya's sister commited suicide by being hung in the storage room. As for Officer Gruntel, the soldier who tried to save her, was stuck cleaning out the bodies from the room Sheraya was stuck in for 3 days with her dead brother. Sheraya was right... the family made the perfect excuse, blame it on the youngest.